When “Don” told the priest who ran St. Michael’s Home for Children on Staten Island that one of his employees had molested him repeatedly over the previous two years, the clergyman gave the boy a lecture about damaging another man’s reputation. Then he told Don to report to the employee who allegedly sexually abused him for his punishment.

Sociopaths are manipulative, and some are dangerous. If you know someone with several of the following attributes, your best bet is to stay away from them.

1 Superficial Charm

2 Narcissistic

3 Pathological Lying

4 Manipulative and Cunning

5 Shallow Emotions

6 Lack of Remorse, Shame, Or Guilt

7 Incapable of Human Attachment

8 Constant Need for Stimulation

9 Lack of Empathy

10 Poor Behavioral Controls / Impulsive Nature

11 Promiscuous Sexual Behavior / Infidelity

If you have a sociopath in your life, especially in a romantic relationship, you are going to suffer. Avoid these people. Don’t be fooled by their charms—it is just an act to get what they want. Sociopaths are extremely cold-hearted. The only person they care about is themselves. They see all other people only in terms of usefulness and as potential targets.

Christopher Lane, a 22-year old Australian student visiting his girlfriend in Oklahoma, was shot and killed by teenagers—because they were bored.

Two childhood best friends killed teenager Katelyn Wolfe for a thrill and then bound her body, attached it to a weight and threw it into a lake.

5 steps to change the world

1 Acknowledge that sociopaths exist. This is more radical than it may sound. For many of us, it means abandoning a belief we have held a lifetime; that “there’s good in everyone.” While that is true in most cases, it is critical to understand that there are exceptions and that they are not easily recognized.